he global resurgence of malaria, dengue fever and cholera coupled with the emergence of relatively new diseases like Ebola and Mad Cow disease (though not attributable to climate change) affect global health and welfare, as well as trade, tourism, policy and economic security. The impacts of disease on humans, agriculture and livestock are costly. The 1991 cholera epidemic cost Peru over $1 billion in lost seafood exports and tourism. In India, airline and hotel industries lost over $2 billion from the 1994 Indian plague. Cruise boats are turning away from islands in the Caribbean racked by dengue fever, threatening the region's $12 billion, 500,000 employee tourism industry.

Worldwide, the rise in severe wind and flood-related events have caused extraordinary losses for property insurers. In the United States, prior to 1989, single-event insured losses had never exceeded $1 billion per year. Since then annual insured losses have risen dramatically-four- to five-fold since the 1980's-and include:

• Hurricane Hugo, 1989 - $5.4 billion;
  
• Hurricane Andrew, 1992 - $16.5 billion;
  
• the winter storms of 1993 - $1.8 billion;
  
• the 1993 summer floods - $10 billion; and, most recently,
  
• Hurricane Opal, 1995 - $2.1 billion.

With continued extreme climate variability and the spread of diseases, health and environmental costs may grow. Insurers already estimate that health-related and environmental restoration claims over the next 30 years may reach $50 - $125 billion.